Friday, December 23, 2016

Scrap Rampal Power Plant, Save the World’s Largest Mangrove Forest- The Sundarbans

A
Call for Global Day of Protest for the Sundarbans

January
7, 2017

The
Sundarbans- the largest single tract mangrove forest, extraordinarily
rich in biodiversity, a Ramsar Site, the UNESCO-declared World
Heritage site is now in grave danger of losing its unique
biodiversity and extra-ordinary eco-system for the planned coal fired
power plant along with many other commercial projects in and around
the forest. The Sundarbans, to preserve its outstanding universal
value, now demand global public action for its survival.

The
joint project of PDB (Bangladesh) and NTPC (India) for 1320 MW Rampal
coal-fired power plant has become a deadly threat for the survival of
Sundarban. In addition, it is inviting a range of national and
international vested interest groups to grab forest and set up
hundreds of commercial projects in and around the Sundarbans that
clearly issued its death warrant. This has not only put the
livelihood of at least 3.5 million people at risk, it has made the
lives of around 50 million coastal people vulnerable to natural
disasters as the Sundarbans have also been a huge natural safe guard
against frequent cyclone, storm and other natural disasters in the
country.

We
hope you are aware of our 5 years long peoples movement for the
cancellation of this Rampal Power plant, many friends from around the
world have already expressed their solidarity for the campaign to
save Sundarbans. Now it is urgent to consolidate public opinion
around the world to make the resistance global. A grand rally on
November 26th,
2016, in Central Shaheed
Minar,
Dhaka organized by the National Committee and attended by more than
15 thousand people from different parts of the country, has made a
call to everybody in this planet to observe a Global Day of Protest
on January 7, 2017 to raise collective voice to save the Sundarbans.
We believe the observance of a global day would strengthen our unity,
uphold our common spirit, and take our struggle to a new level to
protect the mother-nature from the disastrous profit hungry projects.
We believe that the global solidarity would also open up the
opportunity to create worldwide awareness for environment and
ecology-friendly power generations and sustainable development that
put people and environment before corporate profit.

We
hope that our fellow activists, environmental groups, political
parties around the world would join our cause by expressing
solidarity and taking up various forms of activities and action
programs on that day. In this respect, we would like to appeal you
to consider either of the following:

Staging
demonstrations/human chain and sending written appeals to the
embassies of Bangladesh and India.

Cycle
rally, boat rally, theatre, songs, cartoons, masks.

Appeal
to United Nation.

Campaigning
to International Press/Media

Sending
us your protest/solidarity video messages.

We
welcome any other effort or ideas from your part.

Let
us raise our voice together on January 7 2017 in different parts of
the world to save the Sundarbans and to make a step forward to save
our mother earth from projects of mass destruction. We look forward
to your participation and hope that our common struggle would further
bind us together, and contribute to a stronger global movement for
upholding public interest.

National
Committee to Protect Oil-Gas-Mineral Resources Power and Port,
Bangladesh